Strong Finish

Nine years ago, Luis Carlos Hernandez-Colin moved to Michigan with his parents and younger brother when his father transferred to the FCA Headquarters in Auburn Hills. Growing up in Saltillo, Mexico, Hernandez-Colin is proud to become the first member of his family to graduate from an American university.

“An Oakland University business degree is going to let me create a career for myself and have the future that I planned,” he says.

Even with a part-time restaurant job and parents able to partially help pay for school, the 22-year-old finance major knew he would need additional assistance to complete his degree.

After investigating scholarships available to OU business students, he decided to apply for one. He was thrilled to receive a business scholarship that would help him achieve his goal.

“Transferring to OU (from Oakland Community College), I received the Phi Theta Kappa for two years. For my last year I’m fortunate to receive help from this Oakland University scholarship,” he says.

Without the business-completion scholarship, he says his part-time income would have been dedicated solely to paying for college. Instead, the scholarship afforded him the flexibility to pursue activities to improve his career path, gain valuable professional and networking skills, and ultimately keep him on his path to graduation.

“College success is measured by the amount of things you learn and the experiences you can get,” he says. He appreciates the opportunities he’s had to participate in Business Scholars, career fairs, recreational soccer and Student Program Board sponsored events.

As a member of the Business Scholars program, Hernandez-Colin represented OU twice at an international case competition at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. Business Scholars gain leadership and professional competencies while putting skills to practice in case competitions to solve real business challenges. In the competitions, Business Scholar team members work together to gather research, develop a strategy and present it to judges within a few hours.

A strong interest in data analysis and how it can affect a company or the wealth of any person drove Hernandez-Colin’s decision to focus on finance. “Finance gives me the option to focus on personal wealth, or to go into corporate finances and analyze statements to help the organization grow,” he says.

Dedicated faculty and staff round out the Oakland University business school experience for him. “We, as students, are very lucky that faculty is composed of experienced instructors,” he says. In fact, Hernandez-Colin believes that the greatest resources at OU are its dedicated professors and staff.